THREE 25-MINUTE TALKS on ADVENT
With GARY MOON

TALK #1:
Not My Will But Thine: Mary as Christian Role Model

TALK #2:
Victory Over Temptation Results in Advent Peace

TALK #3:
The Greatest Gift of Christmas is Friendship with Jesus

We welcome Gary W. Moon to the Advent Project. Dr. Moon is the first director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. See the "About" section for a complete biography on Dr. Moon.

Advent Spiritual Exercises:  Ignatian Examination of Conscience

Brief Background
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius contains an exercise known as “Examination of Conscience.” Typically used at the end of the day, it is a way to keep us accountable to the task of pursuing God and his kingdom. With slight modifications, it appears below as an exercise in monitoring the battle between fear and love in the core of our being. We’ll begin with Ignatius’ purpose.

Purpose of these Exercises
To help the “exercitant” conquer himself or herself and to regulate his life so that he will not be influenced in his decisions by any inordinate attachments to the world.

Principle and Foundation
We are created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means (through grace) save our soul. We are to use created things to the extent that they will help to attain this end.  Likewise, we must rid ourselves of them in so far as they prevent attainment of our salvation. Therefore we must make ourselves “indifferent” to all created things, in so far as it is left to the choice of our free will and is not forbidden. We should not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short one. We should desire and choose only those things which will best help us attain the end for which we are created.

Exercise:  Method of Making the General Examination of Conscience

Give thanks to God for the favors you have received throughout the day.

Ask for the grace to know your sins and to free yourself from them. For our purposes, we will specifically focus on the times where we acted out of fear instead of love.

Demand an account of your soul from the moment of rising until the present examination; either hour by hour or from one period to another. It may be helpful to review the day by blocks of time (before breakfast, between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and the evening meal, and before the present moment at the end of the day).

Ask pardon of God our Lord for your failings—particularly with regard to being driven by fear, or in the pursuit of idols that distract from being present to God’s love.

Resolve to amend your life with the help of God’s grace.

Close the exercise with the Lord’s Prayer.

Ways to Stay Close to God and Develop Our Hearing

1) Wake up and greet God with a warm “good morning,” and listen for his response.

2) Read favorite portions of Scripture as faded love letters—listening for the voice of the author as you read.

3) Recognize the long line at the grocery as an opportunity for a few deep breaths and a time to listen for the voice of God. 

4) Make sure your day planner has at least one appointment with God that is written in indelible ink.  Close the door.  Offer him an empty chair.  Then…be silent, be patient, and lean in.

5) See each person you meet as a new opportunity to show love to the imago dei (the image of God buried inside them). God’s reflection is on every face.

6) Hugging your spouse or children or a good friend can become a sacrament of communicating love to God.

7) When you turn the light out, ask God if he enjoyed spending the day together, and listen for his response.

Discerning God’s Voice—Seven Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Does it sound like God?
    Does what you heard sound like something God would say? Is it consistent with God as you know him through Scripture?

2. Does it sound like Jesus Christ?
    Does it sound like something Jesus would say? Is it consistent with Jesus as you see him revealed in the pages of the New Testament?

3. Does it help you be OR in becoming conformed to the image of Christ?
    The glory of God is our transformation into Christlikeness. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18.) 

4. Is it consistent with a previous experience you have had that you now know was from God?
    We can take advantage of the 20-20 vision of hindsight.

5. Is it consistent with the fruit of the Spirit, & does it promote the growth of Christ’s character in us?
    The fruit of the Spirit is the character of Christ.

6. Is it consistent with the witness of what the saints and devotion masters have had to say about God?
    Do I get a witness from those who have won the race?

7. Do my closest friends and spiritual mentors believe it was from God?
    Do I get a witness from those I trust?

8. Is it consistent with the overarching themes of Scripture?
    God’s spoken word will not contradict his written word.

Preparation For Confession
God does not desire the death of a sinner but rather he turn away from his sins and live. In confession we have the means whereby we may obtain forgiveness of our sins, and be restored to the favor of God, our heavenly Father.

In order that you may make a good confession, it is necessary for you to prepare yourself carefully. Ask God to give you grace to make a thorough examination of your conscience, courage to make a sincere and complete confession, and strength to amend your ways in the days to come.

Begin your examination with the time of your last confession; try to recall whether you omitted anything through carelessness or lapse of memory. Examine yourself with the assistance of the form of Self-examination according to the Ten Commandments of God which follows.

It is most necessary that you be truly sorry for the sins which you have committed, and that you firmly purpose amendment of your manner of living. See the Prayer of Repentance, Self Examination & Psalm 50.

Self-Examination

First Commandment
Have I believed in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Have I failed to trust in God and His mercy? Have I complained against God in adversity? Have I been thankful for God’s blessings? Have I doubted the Christian faith and the teachings of the Church? Have I tried to serve God and keep his Commandments? Have I neglected my duties to God through fear of ridicule or persecution? Have I failed to pray faithfully or put myself before God?

Second Commandment
Have I made an idol of any person or thing? Have I given to anyone or anything  the worship that is due to God alone? Have I set before myself the holy life of Jesus and tried to imitate Him? Have I read the Bible regularly? Have I been irreverent during Church Services, let my attention wander, or been insincere?

Third Commandment
Have I profaned the holy name of God in any way? Have I cursed anyone or anything, or sworn a false oath? Have I had due respect for the clergy of the Church or hindered them in performing God’s work? Have I broken any solemn vow or promise? Have I entered into any unlawful contract or made an unlawful promise?

Fourth Commandment
Have I stayed away from Church on Sundays or prevented others from going? Have I done unnecessary work on Sunday? Have I spent the day in unwholesome fashion or profaned it by improper conduct? If I could not go to Church because of illness or other grave cause, have I prayed at home? Have I caused anyone else to profane the Lord’s Day?

Fifth Commandment
Have I respected my parents and been obedient to them? Have I been guilty of deception, or caused them pain by my words or actions? Have I neglected them or failed to help them? Have I done my duty towards my family? Have I been wanting in love or kindness towards my husband (or wife), or harmed him (or her) in any way? Have I set my children a good example and tried to bring them up properly? Have I corrected their faults with patience and not with anger? Have I over-indulged or spoiled them? Have I worked for my employers honestly and diligently? Have I treated fairly all those who have worked for me? Have I honored God as my Heavenly Father by treating others as my brothers and sisters?

Sixth Commandment
Have I caused the injury or death of any one, or wished that I were dead? Have I done anything to shorten my own life or that of someone else by injuring health through evil and intemperate living? Have I given way to anger, or harmed others with words or actions? Have I defamed others who needed help, or failed to stand up for those unjustly treated? Have I been cruel to anyone? Have I destroyed any life unnecessarily? Have I failed to forgive anyone or wished him or her ill?

Seventh Commandment
Have I given way to impure thoughts, words, or deeds? Have I committed any unworthy actions alone or with others? Have I degraded myself in any way, or forgotten human dignity? Have I read immoral books or magazines, or delighted in obscenity of any kind? Have I associated with bad companions or frequented unsavory places?  Have I eaten or drunk too much? Have I led others to commit sinful acts? Have I been unfaithful to any trust confided in me?

Eighth Commandment
Have I stolen anything or wished to do so? Have I kept anything that did not belong to me? Have I tried honestly to find owners of lost articles I have found? Have I cheated anyone? Have I paid my debts? Have I lived within my income, and not wastefully and extravagantly? Have I given to charitable causes in proportion to my means? Have I been honest and upright?

Ninth Commandment
Have I told lies or added to or subtracted from the truth? Have I made careless statements or spoken evil of anyone? Have I told any secrets entrusted to me, or betrayed any one? Have I gossiped about anyone or harmed his or her reputation? Have I concealed the truth, assisted in carrying out a lie, or pretended to commit a sin of which I was not guilty? Have I tried to see the good in others rather than their shortcomings?

Tenth Commandment
Have I envied anything good that has come to others? Have I been jealous of another’s good fortune? Have I wished for anything that was another’s? Have I wished for things God has not given me or been discontented with my lot? Have I been stingy? Have I held back anything due another? Have I hoped for the downfall of anyone so that I might gain by it? Have I failed to be gracious and generous to anyone? Have I expected God to give me that which I would refuse one of my fellow men?

Prayer of Repentence

O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins, which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike. I am heartily sorry that I have offended thee, and I sincerely repent; with tears I humbly pray O Lord: of your mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and absolve me from them. I firmly resolve, with the help of your Grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more; that I may walk in the way of the righteous and offer praise and glory to the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Psalm 51

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones, which thou hast broken, may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.